CSUSB also has a police explorer program in which 10 high school students train to become future police officers and first responders. The program, which is led by a CSUSB PD officer, also acts as a good recruitment tool for the university.
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Additionally, Brown recommends other campuses implement a police or security volunteer program because it helps deter crime and gets the community more involved in securing the campus.
He’s Just Getting Started
Although Brown is thrilled with his designation as this year’s winner of the Campus Safety Director of the Year award, he has no intention of slowing down anytime soon. He says his biggest upcoming challenge will be addressing the budget.
“Our efforts should be directed towards attaining greater efficiencies with existing resources,” he adds. “We will need to identify and utilize new or other funding sources, such as law enforcement grants, both public and private.”
He also hopes to work more closely with other agencies, which shouldn’t be a challenge considering his department recently conducted a multi-agency disaster response exercise. The drill involved the City of San Bernardino, local and state fire departments, other law enforcement from the city and schools, as well as officers from the local American Indian reservation.
Additionally, Brown is looking to expand CSUSB’s dispatch center regionalization efforts to include other CSUs.
‘It’s Not About Me’
Not surprisingly, the chief says he owes his success to the community of San Bernardino, his family, the officers in his department, the campus and residential community, CSUSB President Albert Karnig, Vice President Gardner, retired Police Chief Michael Meyers and other CSU chiefs of police. Through these partnerships, Brown’s department has not just survived these challenging budgetary times, it has thrived. The result? A safer, more cohesive campus.
“It’s not about me,” he says. “It’s about the community I serve.”
The Brown File
Name: Jimmie Brown
Title: Chief of Police
Institution: California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB)
Campus: Founded in 1965, CSUSB has 69 buildings and two campuses, encompassing nearly 500 acres. Approximately 16,400 students, faculty and staff attend or work at the institution.
Department: 18 sworn officers who are armed with handguns, shotguns, rifles and pepper guns; 13 nonsworn personnel.
Background: Brown is a native of San Bernardino, Calif., and started his law enforcement career at the age of 14 as a police explorer. He attended Southern Illinois University at Carbondale where he earned his bachelor of science degree. He served as a cadet for the Rialto (Calif.) Police Department, reserve officer with the Colton (Calif.) Police Department, deputy sheriff with the Riverside (Calif.) County Sheriff’s Department and investigator with the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. He started with CSUSB as a police officer in 1996 and was was appointed chief in 2007.
CSUSB’s Mass Notification Program
CSUSB PD Police Chief Jimmie Brown is also responsible for the school’s emergency management program. Its mass notification system includes:
- A hotline
- Web sites
- E-mail list serve
- Berbee
- Connect-Ed
- Loud speakers
- Scrollcaster wireless communication system
- Policies for internal/external communication procedures for critical incidents
- Policies for the emergency notification of faculty and staff
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